JC21 - the second meeting!

Well - the show's really on the road now! About 40 gathered to hear the how Jesus Christ, alive and dealing with people today, can help people be free from their pasts. And most of us do have pasts that we're only too well aware of. Sam from our church testified how her past had led her to the brink of suicide although you wouldn't know it now if you met her.

Several people responded to an invitation to let Jesus begin to turn things round.

All very wonderful, it's great to start feeling established as a new church but we're only scratching the surface so far. If you're reading this and you're wondering if there's a God out there who really exists and can really reach you then please come along to our next JC21 in a fortnight (Sunday 3 April at 3.30). We promise not to embarrass anyone but welcome you with drinks and treats!

JC21 - the first meeting!

Hope Church Thetford feels really under way now as 40 or so of us gathered at the Carnegie Rooms in Thetford to have our first Sunday afternoon meeting. We had quite a few guests and Grantley Watkins' presentation of "Why do I matter?" had everyone gripped. Of course, the appeal at the end of the meeting wasn't to come more to church but to come and receive the living Jesus Christ as Saviour. And discover reality, not religion! Some people responded and that was great - what we're really here for in fact.

A word too about all those who worked hard to get the PA and technical stuff working, welcomed people warmly on the door, looked after the children with enthusiasm and patience and, of course, those who baked lots of yummy goodies - heroes of all of you!

We do it again in two weeks - Sunday 20th March, 3.30pm at the Carnegie Rooms in Thetford and the subject is "How can I be free of my past?"

Please come and find out what this is all about!

JC21 - One Week To Go!

It's a Saturday evening at home and tomorrow looks like a pretty quiet day. But this time next week! We're poised now to open up on Sunday afternoons for the first time next Sunday and I can feel those butterflies a'fluttering!

But we're ready to go now as a new church plant and particularly ready to start receiving guests and start sharing the reality of the saving love of God with everyone. JC21 (Jesus Christ in the 21st century) is the name we've given to our first set of Sunday meetings when we'll be helped by my friend Grantley Watkins and his team down from Wymondham.

So, if you're reading this and are not sure whether to come along or not, I promise that everyone who comes we'll welcome warmly (and the kids), we'll have drinks and treats and you'll soon get to know what Hope Church Thetford is about.

I can't wait to start posting entries which will speak of how God has really blessed people in all sorts of different ways through this new church plant. Watch this space!

2011 - new year, high expectations!

Hi everyone - last night about 20 of us gathered at The Bell Inn in Thetford to hear the plans we have for Hope Church this year. You'll see them elsewhere on this website but, to be honest, I think we're all pretty excited!

We're using Tuesday evenings up to March to have our Vision and Values course - so everyone who's joined up so far will know what they are letting themselves in for! Our New Frontiers distinctives will be made nice and clear.

Over March and April, I'm so glad that Grantley Watkins and his team will be doing JC21 with us. We'll be going public on Sunday afternoons, meetings at the Carnegie Room and I hope loads and loads of people come along! We're so serious about our mission to the town.

Then, in the autumn, the church will be laying on an Alpha Course for anyone and everyone intereasted in discussing and exploring the life-changing truths of the Christian faith.

We're now big enough to absorb visitors on Tuesday nights without them sticking out like a sore thumb. So, if you're reading this and are interested, please drop me an e-mail or, even better, come along and meet us all.

It's going to be a busy but a highly satisfying year I think.

Welcome to our Hope Church Thetford blog!

A big welcome to everyone viewing this blog for the first time. Its purpose is to give me (Nigel) a chance to share what's going on with us and the new church plant in Thetford.

Around 20 of us now have gathered under a calling and a vision to establish a new New Frontiers church in Thetford to serve alongside the existing Christian churches in the town. We look not to compete against or duplicate what's going on in the church scene but to bring a fresh flavour to the mix. Hopefully our church's flavour will be all about passionate worship, engaging biblical teaching, a proclaimimg of our gospel by word and deed, a display of Holy Spirit gifts and fruits, a practical compassion for the poor and a vision to participate ith enthusiasm with the church's ongoing calling to reach the nations for Christ. And probably other stuff too that churches should be doing that I've forgotten!

It's still early days yet and Glenda and I are trying our hardest to sell our house in Braintree (Essex) so we can move to Thetford. Our aim is to be moved by early new year. Can't wait!

We currently meet every Tuesday evening at The Bell Hotel in the centre of the town. We're normally given the Captain Mainwaring Room and we always enjoy coffee/tea and something tasty before we begin to share our news, worship our God, pray for each other and listen to one of us sharing from the bible. Visitors always welcome!

2011 should see us opening on Sunday afternoons once a fortnight. Our opening date is Sunday March 6th! More details in due course.

Thanks for dropping in and, if you're new to us, please drop us an e-mail - you can find the address in the "Contact" bit of this website.